April 2019 DDA Update

April 2019 DDA Update
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Quick Links: Kudos | Board Meeting | Marketing | Business Development | Building & Grounds | Fundraising

Kudos

Thank you to our volunteers: the local 4-H kids who helped us take down the ice rink for the season, the group that attended the Trash Dash to help us clean up Downtown Ludington for Earth Day.

DDA Board Meeting

Met April 1, 2019

The board discussed the ice rink project and made some plans for future use. The skate loaner program is in the works and we will be hosting an event during Friday Night Live to announce that program.

The board heard updates about St. Patrick’s Day; another successful event in the books.

Short term rentals in the DDA were also discussed, with Brandy Miller making a motion to recommend to Planning & Zoning that the minimum number of rooms be eliminated from the Boutique Hotel definition. This would open the short term rental option open to those willing to offer one of the services required to be classified as a Boutique Hotel. However, when Planning & Zoning met the following Wednesday, they sent the issue back to committee.

Building & Grounds reported on their projects, which include pedestrian safety at crosswalks, the alley closure project, street planters, a bike rack for the plaza and a canopy for the stage. Heather announced that Ludington has made the Low-Mod list which opens up MEDC grants without job creation element. This means that the Legacy Plaza project would qualify for a 90/10 grant. The board asked her to get RFQs to update the project drawings with more specific details so she can move forward with the grant process.

View the full minutes here:
https://ludingtoncitymi.documents-on-demand.com/

Marketing

Met April 4th

  1. Facebook Ads/Boosts/Giveaways
    1. Pros and Cons of each, agreed using all is valuable.
    2. CVB uses Boo Box for giveaways, collects email addresses
    3. Possibly get larger donated items from business community for prizes
      1. Experiences!
  2. 2019 Map Review
    1. Replace sunset schedule with Photo Hunt
    2. Add pub crawl card
  3. Brochures
    1. Marina bags are a go
      1. 1000 each marina
    2. Cartier Park?
  4. Verizon hotspot
    1. Split with chamber/cvb
    2. Jen and Brandy will look into costs
  5. Avenue’s End sell products
    1. graffiti art, sticker on the back – 
    2. #drinklocal pints
  6. Plans for Facebook Live
    1. Approved use of BeLive ($12/mo) to do live, on location videos. 
    2. Paid version allows us to replace their logo with our own
  7. Square Console
    1. Purchase using Octoberfest budget
  8. Ice Rink plan for FNL
    1. Will talk more details next month
  9. Family/Teen marketing
    1. Fliers to schools, day cares
  10. Meeting time change to 8am on first Thursday

 

Business Development

Met: April 10th

Building & Grounds

Met April 21st

  • Reviewed bike rack placement
  • Discussed moving forward with grant available for Legacy Plaza revamp. Need to update cost estimates. Heather will get quotes for this.

Fundraising

New. Has not met.